Teknor Apex expands PVC compounding capacity

Teknor Apex Co. Is adding a new compounding line in Fountain Inn, S.C., and is diversifying the output of a line in Brownsville, Tenn.

The new line in Fountain Inn will have annual capacity of 30 million pounds and will be operational in August, officials with Pawtucket, R.I.-based Teknor said in a July 21 news release. The line will use high-efficiency mixing technology to produce flexible PVC compounds with improved melt elasticity for profiles, film, sheet and wire insulation.

In Brownsville, Teknor is converting a flexible PVC compound line into one that can make both rigid and flexible PVC compounds. The resulting swing line will allow Teknor to serve a growing number of customers who buy both materials and want to source them both from a single facility, Teknor vinyl Vice President Louis Cappucci said in the release.

“Teknor Apex made the decision to invest in these projects more than a year ago, in the depths of the recession, because they will increase our capabilities in two areas where there is strong demand,” Cappucci said.

Teknor recently began making rigid PVC compounds in the United States after years of sourcing those products from its Singapore Polymer Corp. unit in Singapore. It newest new rigid PVC offering is high-impact compound for profiles that meets rigorous UL classifications for flame performance.

The new material also provides finely detailed structures and a smooth finish, officials said in a news release. It can be used in furniture, building products and retail displays.

Custom Profile Inc. of Grand Rapids, Mich., already is using the new material in clips used to hold tubing in place in appliances, office furniture parts, canoe side rails and other applications.

Earlier this year, Teknor developed a new blend of starch and biodegradable copolyester for use in compostable applications. The material, sold under the Terraloy 20000 trade name, can replace polyolefins and polystyrene in end uses such as carrier bags and can liners, according to the company.

Teknor’s products include PVC compounds, thermoplastic elastomers, color concentrates and garden hose. The firm operates at 10 global sites and has annual sales estimated at more than $600 million.

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